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Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to a new term of learning at Holy Name. During this term we celebrate our Patron Saint, Mary Mackillop's Feast Day on August 8 and will hold our annual student - teacher sporting challenge to determine the winner of the Mackillop Cup! We always look forward to this friendly competition with our students. We will also be focused on beginning the transition of our new students for Kinder 2023 and encourage all of our current families with siblings wishing to enrol, to put their enrolment forms in to be part of this process. Our Kinder teachers and our Learning Support Teacher will be visiting the Early Learning Centres to build their knowledge and understanding of how best to support the transition of our new Kindergarten students.
So far for this term, all sporting, cultural and academic events are allowed to proceed with Risk Assessments in place. This week, over 30 of our students travelled to Newcastle to watch the 'Cost of Wishes' ASPIRE production. Our students are invited each year to attend this performance in Newcastle. ASPIRE is the Maitland Newcastle Catholic Schools Office creative and performing arts program. It has an emphasis on fostering creativity, with a large number of programs on offer, including in school workshops and performance support, and professional development for staff, as well as special projects in areas such as songwriting, scriptwriting, devising theatre and choreography. ASPIRE creates an original production each year through which students can audition to be part of through dance, design, drama, vocal, stage band and production ensembles. In ASPIRE’s 2022 production, the audience are reminded to be careful in what they wish for as chaos ensues when wishes are granted regardless of their effects on others. We are so lucky to have the ASPIRE Team offering these opportunities for our staff and students.
Towards the end of this term, we will invite families back in for the Term 3 Student-led conferences. This is a great way to observe your child's learning progress between the first conference in Term 1, the Student Report in Term 2 and the time of the meeting in Term 3.
The building project is expected to commence later this term too, and although we can't wait for the refurbishment of our learning spaces, our Yr 3, 4 and 5 classes, as well as our Teacher Librarian and Creative Arts Teacher have set up in different spaces to accommodate the project. Not ideal but a necessary part of the refurbishment.
This term also sees Mrs Whitlam finish up at the end of Week 4 as she is expecting her first child. I am pleased to annouce that Mrs Sophie Tull was the successful applicant for this position and will now begin the handover with Mrs Whitlam to ensure a smooth transition between teachers for our Yr 5 class. Mrs Tull is an experienced and motivated educator, and we look forward to having her as part of our team.
Don't forget that next Tuesday evening is our first P&F Meeting for Term 3. Please join us in the Staffroom (as the Learning Hub is now a classroom space) for our meeting that will commence at 6pm. If you would like an online invitation, please let the office staff know.
Yours sincerely,
Brooke Stephens
PBL
Our Positive Behaviour for Learning focus for the past fortnight has been using safe hands and feet. Children accrue surfboard tokens when they are “caught” displaying the targeted behaviour. When children obtain certain numbers of surfboards they can choose a reward from their classroom menu.
When children receive 20 surfboards, they receive a Principal’s Award.
SRC
Our SRC meeting this week was based in our school garden. The beds have been dormant over the past few cool months and we are getting ready to plant out the garden with Spring crops. All the Year 6 children pitched in and got the beds cleaned out and we will begin planting over the next couple of weeks.
ICAS
Testing will begin in Week 4 for children who have been registered through the online portal. Practice tests are available on the ICAS website.
ASPIRE
On Thursday, I was lucky enough to travel to Newcastle with Miss Reynolds and students to see the ASPIRE musical production at the Civic Theatre in Newcastle. This year’s show was called “The Cost of Wishes.” Covid caused the production to be put on hold for the past 2 years, but the show was definitely worth the wait! Anna Kerrigan, the artistic director of ASPIRE, created a fantastic script and the costumes, music, sets and acting, singing and dancing were fantastic. I particularly enjoyed the music from the 70’s and 80’s which made up a lot of the soundtrack.
Here is a report from Oliver Cooper and Christian Botros:
When we first entered, we were surprised at how big the theatre was. When the show started, four teenage figures appeared from the side of the stage to find a mysterious cave with a wishing well in the centre. Three of the characters wanted to see what would happen if they threw a coin in and made a wish, but one character, named Carl, thought something bad would happen. A girl tossed in a coin, wishing for some new shoes and the next day, her wish came true.
The set changed to underneath the well where all these creatures woke up from a long nap and began to dance and make wishes come true. Soon, word spread, and lots of children were making wishes. An evil sorcerer then came and took over the underground wish granters and soon they were fighting amongst themselves – which is what the sorcerer wanted.
Two goblins were sent to the surface to tell the Wish Makers to come together to reverse their wishes as everyone was becoming greedy and unkind. The moral of the story was be careful what you wish for…
Diocesan Athletics
A contingent of Holy Name athletes will travel to Newcastle this week to participate in the Dio Athletics carnival. We wish these athletes the very best of luck and we know you will compete to the very best of your abilities.
BOOK WEEK
Book Week will be celebrated in Week 6. A more detailed plan will come out in the next newsletter, but at this stage, we will have our book character parade on Monday, August 22nd at 9am. The children can come to school dressed as their favourite character from a book.
The staff have a special surprise with their costumes as well and their will be some fun activities planned across the week.
During Week 5, all students will vote for their favourite picture book nominated by the Children’s Book Council. We are keen to see if our votes are the same as the members of the council who will announce the winners of each category on Friday, August 19th.
Kyla Loring
Holy Name Spirituality Day
Holy Name Staff were led by Richard Cootes to better understand the mystic cosmos and the mystic Christ at our annual staff spirituality day on Monday 18 July. Our day began by exploring the beauty of the cosmos, Earth and what is all around us. Nature’s beauty is in front of us and God is all around us in this beauty we see. Richard led us through an art activity to help us connect with being in the moment. It is when we are truly present in our surroundings that we can reconnect with God. In this connection, we are building our relationship with him.
As teachers, we explain to our students that the wonder of God is in all you see and do. So, when we see a beautiful rainbow after a rain shower, or a magnificent sunset, taking that moment to appreciate the beauty of what we see puts us in relationship with our God who created all this for us because he loves us.
The staff were guided through the Church’s history after the death of Christ to the life of the Church today. We were asked to think about where God’s love can be found in the world today. What would be your answer? God’s love is found in the relationships we have with one another. We are in God’s love when we care for the ecology of Earth- God’s creation. Richard connected God’s mission of love with Holy Name’s vision of Belonging, Learning and Serving in His Holy Name. Love is action, it is a verb. Our faith is that too. It is in living our faith that we are in communion with God.
Please read the following insights our staff gained from the day and what they will take into their classrooms to begin sharing with their students this term:
I gained the following insights...
- Such a joyful presentation. I enjoyed the inclusion of songs and thorough background knowledge. I will take away the idea of “I Am,” a verb.
- God as activity. Pope Francis – living simply and reflecting on living simply. That we are connected as people, as community, humankind, and earth.
- God as activity, the mission has a Church, salvation here on earth, God as outpouring of love, anointed moments, part of a universal family, cry of the earth, cry of the poor, returning to simplicity, to be happy with very little.
- Painting can add much more to spirituality – to look for God in the small and simple things in life.
- Evangelizing – being actioner people, being missionary, salvation, background of early church – the eucharist as activity, actioning, not a noun.
- The power of our special teaching role to help and guide our students in their faith and to appreciate the beauty of the world.
- Learned more about the history of the Church and about how contemplation can help ease our minds and bring us closer to our faith.
- I want to reflect on my role in my job and how I can contribute to the kids and community. We don’t need all the bells and whistles to be decent people, community members and educators.
- Gratitude for how lucky we are. God is an activity. Look for Christ in actions. Live simply. Art for contemplation.
- Deepened my spirituality.
- God is activity not just a noun. How do I/we continue believing, celebrating, and serving within the school environment?
- God and faith are within all of us through the love and passion we display towards others.
- God – verb – actions
- The need to return to simplicity – God as activity, action
- Reminder to find the “anointed” moments in our daily lives.
- How valuable songs and stories are to me.
- I would like to be more involved in believing, serving, celebrating.
- I loved the songs and music. I also liked the personal stories and photos of your family.
- Historical figures, artwork, enjoyment of giving and purposeful presenter.
- I really liked the different outlook of faith being a verb and that it is our actions that celebrate it.
Photos of the day will be in our next newsletter.
Term 3 Religious Curriculum Units of Work
The following religious units will be taught this term:
Kindergarten |
New Religious Curriculum Unit -Week 1-10 Knowing God the Holy Spirit |
Year 1 |
Week 1-5 Ways of Praying- deepen their understanding of ways to pray, how Jesus teaches us to pray, naming and learning some special prayers. Week 6-10 Hebrew Scriptures-The law of Love. The Ten Commandments and Jesus’s new commandment. |
Year 2 |
Week 1-5 Liturgy- Celebrating the Church’s Liturgical Year. Week 6-10 Christian Scriptures- Stories about Jesus and the Early Church. Contains 27 books written by Christians after the time of Jesus. |
Year 3 |
Week 1-5 Forms of Prayer- Types of Prayer. Learning the Rosary. Week 6-10 Hebrew Scriptures- Understand the structure and content of the bible. Hebrew Scriptures are those 46 books written by Hebrews before the birth of Christ. |
Year 4 |
Week 1-5 Forms of Prayer- Types of Prayer. Learning the Rosary. Week 6-10 Hebrew Scriptures- Understand the structure and content of the bible. Hebrew Scriptures are those 46 books written by Hebrews before the birth of Christ. |
Year 5 |
Week 1-5 Hebrew Scriptures-What is a covenant and why it is important. By exploring these scriptures. They reveal the sacred books about God and about human life. Week 6-10 Sacraments of Healing - understanding the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and why the sacrament of healing is important to Catholics; the effects of the 5 sacraments. |
Year 6 |
Week 1-5 Hebrew Scriptures What is a covenant and why it is important. By exploring these scriptures. They reveal the sacred books about God and about human life. Week 6-10 Sacraments of Healing What is a covenant and why it is important. By exploring these scriptures. They reveal the sacred books about God and about human life. |
Cracking Open the new religious curriculum for kindergarten.
In this 10-week unit your child will be learning more about the Holy Spirit. These are concepts being taught each day for 30 minutes:
- Can demonstrate a basic understanding of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Can recount some scriptural passages that express God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Can communicate a basic understanding that people are created and loved by God
- Can recognise that the Church’s special celebrations are demonstrations of loving God.
- Can demonstrate ways of speaking and listening to God through prayer
- Can communicate basic information about God’s plan that people help each other to live safely and happily together for the good of all
- Can develop an awareness and appreciation of Jesus wanting us to love and care for others
- Can communicate ideas, feelings, and thoughts about God
- Can pose and respond to questions about God
- Can listen and respond to Scripture stories through word, symbol, or art.
Celebrating Mary MacKillop's Feast Day
Holy Name invites you to join us on Monday 8th August to celebrate the feast day of Mary MacKillop at 9am in our school hall.
Sacrament of Confirmation
The parish preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation will now begin next Sunday 7th August at 10 am mass. Please note this has been moved from Sunday 1 August.
Yours in Christ,
Genevieve Williamson
Religious Education Coordinator
Welcome to Term 3! I often reflect that when it comes to students' learning and growth this is has to be my favourite term. Term 3 is often when confidence is high and students make connections with what they have learnt in pervious terms to their current learning. There is often lots of light bulb and 'aha' moments when students hard work and perserverence pay off!
Each fortnight I like to shine a spotlight on a particular grade on class in the school. This report our focus is on 5W. I thank Mrs Whitlam for sharing with us how 5W has started Term 3.